The First
by Shin Sankai
Summary: Autumn has come and Misao needs a break from paperwork. She goes to seek Aoshi out only to find him already within the company of another girl.


**The First**

By: Shin Sankai

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A soft breeze blew throughout Kyoto one fine autumn day. The changing of the leaves, the freshness within the air was bringing forth the beginning of winter. It was definitely a wonderful change for those that lived in the Aoi-ya. Summer had been painful with days upon days of endless heat, of fanning oneself and remaining in the darkness of their quarters to try and not stress the body too much.

One who never complained about the weather, never complained about much these days was Shinomori Aoshi, the ex-leader of the secret organisation known as the Oniwabanshuu. He'd been taught not to show a lot of emotion, had never truly been fused with the daily weather changes. The new leader of the Oniwabanshuu however had no troubles whatsoever expressing her feelings for anything. Of course this wasn't entirely true when her feelings for this particular ninja were still unknown to him. She hadn't quite gotten the courage to blurt it out to his face.

Letting out a soft sigh Misao removed herself from her office and the stack of scrolls she's been trying to work through and headed downstairs. It was far too much of a wonderful cool afternoon to be couped up in her office doing paperwork. She needed a break or else the soft thump of the beginning of a headache was going to only get worse. She decided to relieve this pain by visiting the secret love of her life, secret to him, known to everyone else.

"Omasu-san, have you seen Aoshi-sama?" Misao called out as she watched Omasu go whizzing by with a tray full of sake. She stopped to look over at the slightly dishevelled Misao and let off a sigh.

"You should wash up Misao-chan, you look terrible." Blue eyes narrowed as Omasu walked off not answering her previous and most important question. Her eyes scanned the slightly packed Aoi-ya and found her next victim, the one who would cave at her pleading eyes like he did when she was younger.

"Jiya, have you seen Aoshi-sama?" The smiling face of Misao's adoptive-grandfather turned in her direction and looked her up and down just as Omasu had. "Don't even say it." Misao grit through clenched teeth and for once Okina voiced nothing.

"I think he's out on the back porch with his girl." Blue orbs widened at that as Okina waved her off, going back to talking to the other elderly men about some pretty girls he'd seen.

Misao on the other hand was out of the restaurant in a flash, feet pounding on the floorboards as she headed for the back shoji. No one had informed her that Aoshi had a girl! Reefing it open, the breeze hit her squarely in the face, blowing her messy bangs about her eyes. She brushed them carelessly away and her eyes met Aoshi's lean muscled back as he rested on the top back steps of the porch. He was slumped back, dressed in a beige yukata with his hands splayed out behind him holding up his lounging posture. His face was cast towards the clouds milling by in the bright blue sky. Ocean eyes sought out "Aoshi's girl" and found no one next to him. Furrowing her eyebrows Misao padded lightly towards the dark haired six-foot tall man and tilted her head slightly, a small smile forming on her lips.

There in Aoshi's lap, small back pressed against his much harder and larger chest was Natsuki-chan, one of the little girls Misao had played with frequently and who had grown a fascination for Aoshi. He'd sit on a boulder and watch them play around, but Natsuki had started to stare at Aoshi and walk ever so closer to his rigid form to look him over. Nowadays it appeared she'd gotten so close that she was able to sleep against him.

As Misao bent slightly over, not wishing to disturb Natsuki's sleep, she peered over at Aoshi's profile to bluntly and openly stare at him. His eyes were closed, dark eyelashes brushing his sculptured cheekbones. His facial features were relaxed, making him even more handsome then she knew he already was. Just starring at him made her heart pound within her ribcage. As she shifted slightly, resting on her shins beside his relaxed posture Misao thought that if she squinted slightly, she could of sworn there was a slight upturn of Aoshi's thin hypnotising lips.

"Is something the matter Misao?" His voice made her jump slightly within her seated position. It was smooth and soft as silk she thought. She sucked in much needed air when eyelids peeled open to reveal smouldering dark green eyes that were now focused on her. Trying to be as natural as possible Misao ended up shrugging her shoulders while her palms lay sweaty against her knees.

"I felt like a break from all my reading and decided to come find you."

"Running?" He muttered, eyes drifting from blue to stare down at Natsuki-chan who had moved slightly, turning so her small back was facing Misao.

"Ah, well, its just something that Jiya said." Misao found green back on her, a small amount of curiosity flicked through them even if Aoshi voiced nothing. Just starring at him made her relax and she couldn't help but grin softly. "You've been out here for awhile."

"Why do you say that?"

"Your hair's a mess." Since it was such a natural thing to do, Misao observed as Aoshi's eyes lifted up, almost wanting to see just how his hair looked, but could only make out the tips of his long jet-black bangs.

"I'm not the only one with messy hair." Misao laughed lightly, scratched at her hair knowing several strands were sticking out of her braid.

"Yeah well I was getting slightly frustrated and kept pulling at it."

"Something that hasn't changed since you were a child." The conversation died down as another breeze wafted through the open porch area. A small groan came from the oblivious Natsuki and Aoshi lifted his right hand, his left still holding up his slumped posture and brushed it feathery, caringly over her loose brown hair. As Misao watched, heart swelling at the care he took to not disturb her sleep, flashes of the past assaulted her senses. Of times just like this when she was Natsuki-chan sleeping against Aoshi's chest. Back then Aoshi's features were softer, younger and a lot less mysterious if that could even be imagined. His hair too was far longer then it was now as her eyes locked onto the short wisps brushing against the back of his neck.

Without much thought on her side of things, Misao raised her slender dainty fingers on her right hand and softly brushed silky bangs away from Aoshi's tilted face. His head lifted up as soon as contact was made, turned slightly to stare back at Misao. She was lost in hidden thoughts and yet her hand still glided through his hair. As Aoshi stared back at Misao, watching her blue orbs quiver every now and then, sometimes even mist over with hundreds of past thoughts, the gentle touch he was receiving made his eyes close softly. The past was surfacing in him now. Of him sitting right here, Misao coming to find him, to ask him if she could sit with him and that sitting ended up being in his lap and she falling asleep cradled within his warmth, within his protective embrace.

Coolness against his face made Aoshi dart his eyes open as he felt the warmth of Misao's skin against his own, her hand having cupped his cheek.

"Aoshi-sama…" Her eyes were as blue as sapphires, no cloudiness within them as if she was determined to voice something she'd been keeping from him for far too long. "Aoshi-sama I…" Misao willed herself to grow a backbone, to tell the man before her what she really felt for him. "I really…"

"Suki desu, Aoshi-nii…" Both Aoshi and Misao turned to look down at Natsuki. She'd shifted once more, to curl even more against his chest, her little hand clutching some of the material of Aoshi's yukata. "Suki desu, Aoshi-nii…" Came the soft mumbled sigh of affection again. Green met blue and Misao dropped her hand away from Aoshi's cheek, her eyes drifting from his to the sleeping 4 year old. She chewed her lip slightly and a light flush rose to her cheeks when Aoshi's larger hand gripped hers and pressed it softly against his cheek once more.

"What were you going to say?"

"Um…" Misao mumbled, not sure if the moment had been killed thanks to Natsuki beating her in voicing her affections. Of course hers were far deeper then the four year olds, but still, unknowingly Natsuki had stolen her limelight and all the courage she'd thought was within her. "Its nothing…" Misao muttered, rising to her feet and with a wicked grin on her lips decided to pat Aoshi on the head like he were younger then her. "You just keep being the sweet Aoshi-nii and I'll talk with you later." Turning around Misao couldn't go far when Aoshi's left hand caught hers, stopping her from escaping him.

"Natsuki beat you to it ne?" Her head snapped over her shoulder, to look back and down at him, the redness within her cheeks back.

"How did you…" Misao fumbled in her words as she turned around to face Aoshi fully when he tugged lightly on her hand.

"There isn't a lot you can hide from me Misao." She let off an embarrassed laugh, her free hand lifting up to pat down messy strands of hair, another act of nervousness she'd gained over the years.

"Is it okay?" Misao finally blurted out in a rush.

"Is what okay?" Aoshi questioned her, almost playing with her, allowing her, wanting her to voice her true feelings for him.

"That I…love you…?" It came out in a soft whisper but Aoshi had finally heard it. There was silence as the wind brushed through the orange, red and brown leaves of the trees within Okina's garden.

"I know you do." Aoshi witnessed Misao gasp softly and unconsciously take a step back, even if her hand was still held lightly within his. The flush darkened against her porcelain cheeks as she starred with wide eyes down at him.

"H-How?" She voiced disbelievingly.

"You told me." The look of sheer horror flashed over Misao's face before turning puzzled, as she tried to remember when she told him of her love for him. "Though Natsuki stole your time today, you did tell me years ago that you loved me."

"O-Oh…"

"I have never forgotten Misao." With the pink in her cheeks, the wide smile and the brightness within her eyes, Aoshi gripped Misao's hand just that little bit more. "You were and will always be the first to ever say that to me."

"A-Aoshi…"

"Can I be your first Misao?" She smiled with eyes tightly closed, for fear some tears would spill out at his words. Instead her fingers linked with his and she silently nodded her head in answer. Misao took in a deep breath when she felt lips against her palm and pried her eyes open, they glistening with tears as she stared at Aoshi.

"I'm so tempted to throw myself into your arms and cry all over you Aoshi-sama, but I'd wake Natsuki-chan." The softness of his chuckle made Misao's heart swell even more.

"We'll take a rain check on it." Misao bent over slightly, braid falling over her shoulder just as her hand reached up to cup the back of Aoshi's head, fingers on her right hand splayed against the softness of his hair. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, holding there for several long seconds before pulling away.

"We will." And with a happy flush on her cheeks and the pounding of her heart Misao practically skipped back into the Aoi-ya and closed the shoji.

"Did it work Aoshi-nii?" A soft voice against his chest spoke. Aoshi looked down at the blinking brown eyes of Natsuki and lifted himself to sit up. He stood Natsuki up, her tiny feet pressing into his crossed thighs, her eyes meeting his.

"It worked quite well. Thank you Suki-chan." She beamed a smile at him like Misao would have done years ago and it clenched in his defrosting heart, keeping it as a special memory for safekeeping. Natsuki's hands clasped around his neck as she rested her chin against his right shoulder, a soft giggle bubbling from her lips.

"You're very sneaky Aoshi-nii."

"As are you." The laugh was loud and innocent and for just a split second it made Aoshi think of when he and Misao had children in the future, whether their daughter would be just like this, but the spitting image of Misao. The thought was gone instantly when small hands cupped his face.

"Of course I am, I watch Aoshi-nii all the time!" Natsuki proudly voiced and Aoshi couldn't help but chuckle lightly once more. He stood up, Natsuki resting comfortably on his right arm and carried the four year old back into the Aoi-ya. She began talking about wanting it to snow and how she wanted to play with him in it, but for just a moment Aoshi's eyes were focused on Misao as she bounced about the restaurant. She was helping a bewildered Okon and Omasu who hadn't a clue what had happened.

"My first…" Aoshi muttered as his orbs met Misao's and held them for several long seconds. She gave him what would have been a smile that a new bride would give their husband on their wedding day and tilted his head as Misao took an order from a table of 4 young men, not once paying attention to their flirtatious behaviour. "And my last…"

"Aoshi-nii lets go play! Play!" Natsuki shouted and Aoshi walked towards the front of the restaurant. He would carry Natsuki all the way home and to her waiting mother like he did every week when she came to visit him.

"Aa…" He mumbled and bent slightly near the shoji, turning to give Misao one last look before ducking through it, making sure she knew that they had a previous engagement to keep. Okina grinned and downed his sake having caught what he believed were obvious looks. He was certain the first wedding amongst Oniwabanshuu members wouldn't be too far off in the future and rounded up another sake bottle and toasted quietly to the heavens.

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**The End**

**Authors Notes:** I brought out this little ficlet for those that are waiting for me to continue on with 'A Series of Unforgettable Events'. My mother has been staying with me, I having not seen her for over a year; therefore there hasn't been a lot of writing on my behalf. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get back into that series. For now though, I hope you enjoyed this little ficlet. Oneesan this is for you, for being so patient with your imoto.


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